Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable review: The Surface Pro killer

One of the things I find interesting about Intel’s Tiger Lake UP4 processors is that not only are they very good, but they also allow the form factor to shrink down to a certain point that was previously only enabled by an ARM chipset. The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the fourth PC I’ve come across to use these new CPUs, and it delivers. If you want to put it in simple terms, it’s like a Surface Pro X but with an Intel processor.

I mean that. It’s got the narrow side bezels with a larger top bezel that includes a webcam and an IR camera. It’s also got an attachable keyboard that has a built-in pen garage. It’s the best of both worlds, because unlike with the Surface Pro X, there are no compatibility issues when you get an Intel machine.

I didn’t install Windows 11 on this machine, even though Windows 11 is far superior to Windows 10 on Windows tablets. As it stands right now, I’m not installing a beta OS on review hardware while I’m reviewing it.

Navigate this review:

• Design: It’s the best of both worlds
• Display: It has a 13-inch 3:2 display
• Keyboard and touchpad: The attachable keyboard and pen garage
• Performance and battery life: It uses Intel Tiger Lake UP4
• Conclusion: Should you buy the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable?

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Specs

CPU	Intel Core i7-1180G7
Graphics	Iris Xe
Body	288.4×207.9×8.44mm (11.35×8.18×0.33in), 789g (1.7lbs) Keyboard: 284.2×215.6×5.1mm (11.18×8.48×0.2in), 351.4g (0.77lbs)
Display	13.0” 3:2 FHD+ (1920 x 1280) Touch, 500 nits Super Low Power and ComfortView Plus – Low Blue Light; Corning Gorilla Glass DX Touch; Active Pen Support
Memory	16GB LPDDR4X SDRAM 4266MHz (on board)
Storage	SSD-M.2-2230-256GB-PCIe/NVMe Class 35
Multimedia	Universal Audio jack Front facing 5 MP 1080p @30fps camera Optional HD IR camera with Proximity Sensor World facing 8 MP 1080P at 30fps, no flash Windows Hello 4.0 supported with IR camera Microsoft Skype for Business Certified 2 x Stereo Speaker with MaxxAudio Pro 2 x Dual array microphones
Ports	(2) Thunderbolt 4
Battery	2-Cell, 40 WH Polymer , ExpressCharge 2.0, ExpressCharge Boost & Long Life Cycle capable
Input	Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable Single Pointing Spill Resistant Backlit Travel Keyboard (optional, sold separately) 10-Finger Touch Display Mircosoft Precision Clickpad Latitude 7320 Detachable Stylus Pen (optional, sold separately)
Material	Aluminum
OS	Windows 10 Pro
Price	$2,189

Design: It’s the best of both worlds

If you’re thinking about getting a Windows tablet, there’s no doubt you’ve checked out Microsoft’s Surface offerings. Both the Surface Pro 7 and the Surface Pro X have drawbacks, but the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the best of both worlds. It’s got a sleek aluminum design and it weighs in at 1.7 pounds (the same as a Surface Pro 7 or Surface Pro X). It’s also got the kickstand that’s so common on Windows tablets, as these are very much designed to double as laptops.

There are some key differences. Let’s start with the ports, because this is super important. The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one on each side. In fact, those are the only two ports on here, so there are two USB Type-C ports like the Surface Pro X, but there’s no USB Type-A port like you’d find on the Surface Pro 7.

The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable offers the best of the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X rolled into one

But one thing you won’t find on any Surface device is Thunderbolt. Indeed, this adds a significant value proposition to the device. One Thunderbolt 4 port can power up to two 4K monitors or one 8K monitor. Another thing you can do is plug in an external GPU, turning this little tablet into a powerful gaming rig. You can’t do that on a Surface.

On the left side at the top, you’ll find the volume rocker, and on top, there’s a power button.

One thing I really like is the brushed aluminum design. It stands out from the pack. Being that the Surface Pro is pretty much the standard for Windows tablets, and the only product line that has continuously existed since the Windows 8 era, that platinum magnesium we’re used to can get old. Lenovo has its black ThinkPad tablets, but for once, a silver aluminum PC is the one that stands apart from the pack.

Also on the back of this device, there’s a fingerprint sensor. It’s an interesting choice, as it could have been put in the power button or something, or it could have been omitted entirely in favor of the included IR camera. It’s fine though. I’m all for giving people options in how they use their PC.

There’s also an 8MP world-facing camera, which is really cool. For a device like this, it’s worth thinking about the use case. It’s a business laptop that could be used in the field, and workers might have to take pictures of things, scan codes, and so on.

Display: It has a 13-inch 3:2 display

If a 13-inch 3:2 display with narrow bezels and a thicker top bezel sounds familiar, it’s because that’s exactly what you’ll find on Microsoft’s Surface Pro X. The Surface Pro 7, on the other hand, has a 12.3-inch screen with big, thick bezels. That’s why I keep coming back to how the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the best of both worlds, adding in Thunderbolt on top of that to spice it up a bit.

The screen is actually quite good, although it comes in with 1920×1280 resolution. It’s not that I found it lacking or anything. In fact, it’s probably better on battery life than the 2,880 x 1,920 screen on its competitor, making up for the efficiency lost by not using an ARM chipset. Of course, it has pen support as well, and the pen is hidden in the pen garage in the keyboard.

The screen supports 100% sRGB, 80% NTSC, 84% Adobe RGB, and 87% P3, so like I said, it’s pretty good.

In that bigger top bezel, you’ll find a 5MP front-facing camera, an IR camera, and some other sensors. First of all, like the entire Latitude 7000 lineup, the webcam records 1080p video, which is awesome. It’s wild how many laptops are still using 720p cameras, and Dell seems to have been the only company with the foresight to have FHD webcams before the pandemic ever happened. While Dell has FHD webcams on a fairly broad range of business laptops, competitors HP and Lenovo have only released one or two premium models with decent cameras, while the rest have had HD webcams.

It’s not a great market right now, and it puts Dell in a really good position for the business market, considering how many people are still working from home and how long that might last.

Let’s also talk about those additional sensors in the top bezel. Dell has an app called Dell Optimizer, and it’s got several near features. One is called ExpressSign-in. It detects when you’re sitting in front of the PC. When you sit down, it wakes the PC. The IR camera lights up for facial recognition, and the device logs you in, all without you ever having to touch it. The opposite works too. It can lock the PC when you walk away after a predetermined amount of time. It’s both a convenience and a security feature.

Audio quality is pretty solid for a tablet. The dual Waves speakers are located on the sides, and they’re great for conference calls and such. Music also sounds good, if you’re the type to listen at your desk.

Keyboard: The attachable keyboard and pen garage

By now, it might seem a bit old that I keep comparing the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable to the Surface Pro X, but seriously, so many aspects of these are identical. That’s by design too. The Surface is almost reference design hardware, which is why we’ve seen it cloned so many times.

As you can see, it has the attachable keyboard style that was invented by the Surface brand. But moreover, it’s got the pen garage with a slimmer, flatter pen. This is a big difference than pens that we’ve seen in previous products, where you had to use AAAA batteries to power them. With this pen, it charges while it’s in the garage.

Having a pen stored internally that's always charged is a game-changer for tablet users.

There are two pins that connect to the pen, so it’s not charged wirelessly like the Slim Pen with the Surface Pro X. As you can see from the image above, there are pins on both sides, so you can insert the pen whichever way you’d like. Magnets then hold the pen in place, so if you try to place it upside down, it flips over.

Other than that, the keyboard is pretty standard for a product like this. That’s a good thing. Out of all of the new form factors that we’ve seen since the Windows 8 era began nearly a decade ago, this is the one that took off. You can say it’s not for you, but you can’t say it’s not for anyone.

The pen garage is a great innovation on that design though. Battery-powered pens have always been a pain. AAAA batteries aren’t exactly rare, but they’re also not found in your local drugstore. Pen loops get in the way, and magnetically attached pens fall off. Having a pen stored internally that’s always charged is a game-changer for tablet users.

Performance and battery life: It uses Intel Tiger Lake UP4

The Latitude 7320 Detachable that Dell sent me includes an Intel Core i7-1180G7, 16GB RAM, and 256GB of storage. The CPU is from the Tiger Lake UP4 family, and it’s only the fourth machine I’ve seen that uses that family of CPUs. The first three were from Lenovo. In fact, I was so impressed with Tiger Lake UP4 that after I reviewed devices like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano and ThinkPad X1 Titanium, I conducted interviews with both Intel and Lenovo about it, and proceeded to write over 9,000 words about it. That was a passion project, because I was just so impressed with these CPUs.

Here’s why. Tiger Lake UP4 is the successor to the Y-series, which was originally known as Core M. If you’ve heard anything about Y-series or Core M, it wasn’t anything good. These processors were designed for fanless devices, and frankly, they weren’t very good.

Intel 10th-gen was split between the 10nm Ice Lake and the 14nm Amber Lake Refresh. Ice Lake Y looked good, with a higher TDP, it was finally quad-core, and it has Intel’s new Iris Plus Graphics. But it never shipped in Windows PCs. Tiger Lake UP4 is when we finally got a proper refresh, so it’s a big difference.

The Core i7-1180G7 is a quad-core CPU, and it comes with Intel’s Iris Xe graphics. I’ve reviewed a number of Y-series machines and even in the latest generations, I wouldn’t dream of trying to use something like Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Pro. Now, with Tiger Lake UP4, you’d barely even know the difference. Sure, it’s not quite as powerful as the UP3 processors like the Core i7-1185G7, but for productivity, this is a fantastic chip. Combined with 16GB RAM, it’s a dream.

As far as battery life goes, I got around five hours of real-world usage at 50% brightness and the power slider at one notch above battery saver. Given the 40WHr battery is pretty common for a device like this, I actually think that’s pretty decent. If it was a full-blown laptop with a larger battery, it would do better.

For benchmarks, I used PCMark 8, PCMark 10, Geekbench, and Cinebench.

	Latitude 7320 Detachable Core i7-1180G7	Latitude 7320 Core i7-1185G7	ThinkPad X12 Detachable Core i5-1130G7	HP Spectre x360 13 Core i7-1065G7
PCMark 8: Home	3,710	4,478	3,967	3,243
PCMark 8: Creative	4,236	4,655	4,338	3,818
PCMark 8: Work	3,261	4,099	3,798	3,034
PCMark 10	4,470	4,743	4,286	4,147
Geekbench	1,488 / 4,939	1,540 / 5,181	1,299 / 4,446	1,227 / 3,502
Cinebench	1,148 / 3,195	1,230 / 4,428	1,147 / 2,860	1,073 / 3,200

In the table above, you can see how the score compares to the Latitude 7320 clamshell, which uses a UP3 processor. While Tiger Lake UP3 is clearly more powerful, as it should be, we can see that Tiger Lake UP4 is still more powerful than 10th-gen ‘Ice Lake U’.

Conclusion: Should you buy the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable?

As far as Windows tablets go, let’s just say that the form factor isn’t for everyone. But while we haven’t seen many of them in the past few years, businesses want them. The bottom line is if you do want a Windows tablet, the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the best one on the market.

The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the best Windows tablet on the market.

It’s got three main competitors — the Surface Pro 7+, the Surface Pro X, and the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable is aimed more at the mainstream market, with a smaller screen and only one Thunderbolt 4 port. And as I’ve said throughout this review, the Latitude really combines the best of Microsoft’s Intel- and ARM-powered Surface PCs. It’s got the 13-inch screen, narrow bezels, and pen garage that you’d fine on a Surface Pro X, but it’s also got an Intel processor.

It’s also got Thunderbolt 4, something that puts it above the competition in Microsoft’s products. This opens up the product to possibilities that simply aren’t there on a Surface, such as plugging in an external GPU. You can take this tablet in the field, and then dock it when you get back to the office, making it incredibly versatile.

There are two key things missing from the product. One is 5G, and to be fair, each of the three competitors I listed only offer 4G like the Latitude 7320 Detachable. However, both Lenovo and HP are prioritizing 5G in their mainstream business PCs now, while Dell is keeping it to the premium Latitude 9000 series. The other key omission is something you’d find on both the Surface Pro 7+ and Surface Pro X — removable storage. It’s great for business PCs, as you can actually pull sensitive information out of it if the machine has to be serviced, or destroy it when it’s time to recycle the device.

Those are pretty minor complaints, admittedly. This is one of those products it’s just hard to knock. It’s got a great screen, and the processors inside of the Latitude 7320 Detachable make me excited about the future of thin and light laptops. The pen garage is smart, solving several pain points with the way we’ve been carrying pens for years now.

But like I’ve said above, if you’re looking for a Windows tablet, this is the one to get. Unless you really need removable storage (government institutions and other institutions that handle sensitive data), the Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is the best tablet for anyone that wants one.

Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable

Dell's Latitude 7320 Detachable is a Windows tablet with Intel processors, Iris Xe graphics, Thunderbolt 4.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Dell.com

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These are the best laptops for creators: Dell, Acer, MSI, and more

Laptops have become immensely powerful in the past few years, allowing users to achieve all sorts of tasks. With Intel finally releasing the new Tiger Lake-H series of CPUs, OEMs have updated their machines to deliver the highest performance possible. Today we are going to take a look at some of the best laptops suited for creators. Whether you’re a 3D artist, videographer, or video game broadcaster, there’s a notebook for everyone.

We’ve specifically picked the following laptops, keeping in mind the fact these feature a powerful combination of CPU and discrete GPU.

Navigate this guide

• Best overall laptop: Dell XPS 17 9710
• Best dual-screen laptop: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED
• Best multi-mode laptop: Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel Pro
• Best laptop with OLED display: Gigabyte AERO
• Best 15-inch laptop: Dell XPS 15 9510
• Best laptop for enterprise: Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4
• Best laptop for gamers: MSI GE76 Raider
• Best laptop on a budget: HP Victus 16

Best overall laptop: Dell XPS 17 9710

The XPS series is the most premium lineup from Dell, with the latest 17-inch version being our top recommendation, as it can cater to most creators looking for a reliable laptop that also looks good. It has one of the best designs out there, is fairly slim (at least for a 17-inch notebook), and comes with powerful hardware.

The XPS 17 9710 can be configured with up to an 11th-gen Tiger Lake-H Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and for graphics, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 to handle photo editing, video rendering, and all sorts of tedious workloads. In fact, it can also be used for a bit of casual gaming.

Dell XPS 17 9710

The Dell XPS 17 9710 is powered by the latest 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake-H processors with up to an NVIDIA RTX 3060 mobile GPU, making it an apt machine for creators.

Buy at Amazon

Best dual-screen laptop: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED

ASUS isn’t afraid of experimenting when it comes to making laptops. The ZenBook Pro Duo offers two high-resolution displays packed into the chassis of a regular 15-inch laptop. This brings a larger canvas for creators, which helps them enhance their productivity. The primary display uses a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) OLED panel that offers 440 nits brightness, 100% coverage of DCI-P3, and is Pantone Validated. Right below that is the ‘ScreenPad Plus’, which is a wide 14-inch 3840 x 1100 IPS panel that acts as a secondary monitor or can be configured to show apps, controls, tools, etc.

Powering the laptop is a 10th-gen Intel Intel Core i7-10870H processor, or you can take things up a notch with a Core i9-10980HK that can hit peak clock speeds of 5.3 GHz. For graphics, you can configure it with up to an NVIDIA RTX 3070, and other features include Thunderbolt 3, a large 92Whr battery, Windows Hello face recognition, and military-grade certification for having a solid design.

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED

The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is a recommended laptop for creators looking for a dual-screen setup without compromising on the space on their desk.

Buy at Amazon

Best multi-mode laptop: Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel Pro

One of the most unique convertible laptops for creators, the unique hinge design allows you to fold the display in six different ways. The Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel Pro can be configured with up to 10th-gen Intel Core i7-10875H processor with 32GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU. It’s also available with an Intel Xeon workstation CPU, and NVIDIA’s Quadro RTX 5000 GPU meant for studio workflows. Acer recommends the laptop for Digital Sketching, 3D modeling and offers the laptop with a 4K display that is Pantone Validated, covers 100% Adobe RGB color gamut, and color accuracy of Delta E <2.

Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel Pro

This laptop offers a unique hinge design allowing you to fold the display in various ways and comes with powerful hardware for creators and alike.

Buy at Amazon

Best laptop with OLED display: Gigabyte AERO 15

Having a great display is crucial for creators, and Gigabyte tries to address that with the Aero 15 OLED. It features a Samsung-made AMOLED panel that’s available with 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution and supports VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, and is X-Rite Color Calibrated along with Pantone validation. The rest of the hardware is also top-notch as it can be configured with the latest 11th-gen Intel Core i9 i9-11980HK processor, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 GPU, dual M.2 slots for storage (PCIe 4.0 support), and Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED

The Aero 15 OLED comes with a bright and punchy OLED display and top of the line hardware options that should meet the needs of most creators.

Buy at Amazon

Best 15-inch laptop: Dell XPS 15 9510

The latest XPS 15 is our recommendation for the best 15-inch laptop as it offers a great blend of style and performance. It has a solid aluminum construction with a slim profile and can be configured with a 500-nits 4K UHD IPS panel or a 3.5K OLED. As for hardware, it’s powered by up to a Core i9-11900H, up to 64GB of RAM, up to a 4TB PCIe SSD, and graphics options of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti with 4GB of VRAM. The laptop also comes with Thunderbolt 4 for super-fast connectivity, a four-speaker system, and the option of a large 86WHr battery.

Dell XPS 15 9510

The latest Dell XPS 15 is one of the best 15-inch laptops on the market powered by the 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake-H processors and the option of NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti graphics.

Buy from Best Buy

Best laptop for enterprise: Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4

Creators looking for a notebook that’s not just powerful to handle heavy workloads but also offers the best security features along with a rock-solid design, then they need a ThinkPad. The latest Gen-4 model of the ThinkPad P1 comes with the latest 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake-H processors available with up to a Core i9-11950H with vPro having 8-cores and boost clock speeds of 5GHz. The laptop also features a 16-inch display that can be configured with a 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) IPS panel with support for Dolby Vision, HDR 400, and 600 nits brightness. You also get a full-HD webcam with Windows Hello, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, studio-grade graphics courtesy NVIDIA RTX A5000 with Max-Q.

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4

The ThinkPad P1 is one of the most powerful notebooks available under the series offering a good combination of rock-solid performance, a heavy-duty build and the best security features.

Buy at Lenovo.com

Best laptop for gamers: MSI GE76 Raider

The MSI GE76 Raider is a powerful gaming laptop and is highly recommended for gamers who are into broadcasting or creating video game content. It comes with a full-HD webcam, allowing you to look sharp while streaming or making video calls, while the laptop also comes with top-of-the-line hardware that can deliver the performance for a variety of creators. You can configure the MSI GE76 Raider with up to an 11th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and display options going up to a 4K UHD (3840×2160) 120Hz IPS panel.

Graphics are handled by NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 30-series available with up to 165W RTX 3080, which is some insane amount of power for a laptop. It even comes with Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI out that can handle 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz.

MSI GE76 Raider

The latest GE76 Raider is one of the best gaming laptops for video gamer streamers, as well as creators looking for a powerful machine with high-end hardware.

Buy at Amazon

Best laptop on a budget: HP Victus 16

The newly launched Victus series from HP offers a cost-effective solution to creators looking for a laptop that can handle basic creative tasks. It comes with an industrial design with respectable mid-range hardware options for the asking price. You can configure the laptop with up to an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-11800H processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, 32GB of memory, and up to a 1TB Intel SSD with 32GB Intel Optane memory. As for the display, the 16.1-inch panel is available in a 250 nits full-HD (1920 x 1080) option.

HP Victus 16

The Victus 16 series is a mid-range offering meant for creators and casual gamers looking for a fairly affordable laptop.

Buy at HP.com

These are some of the best creator laptops you can buy today, and all of the above are expected to get the new Windows 11 update once it rolls out later in the year. Looking for more? Check out our roundup of the best laptops to purchase in 2021. We also have a list of the best gaming laptops and some of the only laptops that offer an optical drive.

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Realme takes on Apple’s MagSafe with its MagDart magnetic wireless chargers

Last week we reported that Realme was gearing up to launch a new magnetic wireless charger called MagDart to take on Apple’s MagSafe. In a launch event today, the company officially unveiled a whole range of products that utilize the company’s new MagDart charging technology.

The first is the 50W MagDart charger which Realme says is the fastest magnetic wireless charger for phones out there. The charger has an active cooling fan that prevents excessive heat build-up around your phone and the charger during the charging process. When used with Realme’s 65W SuperDart charger, it claims to fully charge a 4,500mAh battery in under an hour. This falls in line with the recent video we shared showcasing the charger in action.

Next up, there’s a super slim 15W MagDart charger. Measuring just 3.5mm, it’s thinner than Apple’s MagSafe charger. To make the charging pad that thin, Realme put the mainboard to the end of the charging plug and the coil to the end of the charging pad. Realme says that since the mainboard and charging plug are separated, it also reduces heat build-up, allowing the charger to sustain high power for more hours. The 15W MagDart charger can charge a 4,500mAh battery in 90 minutes.

Then there’s a 2-in-1 MagDart Power Bank that comes with a dock. You can attach the battery to the dock to form a vertical stand while charging your phone. Alternatively, you can use the battery on its own to wirelessly charge your phone on the go.

To demonstrate the MagDart technology, Realme also showcased a concept phone called the Realme Flash, which is compatible with all three chargers. There’s also a MagDart compatible case that brings magnetic wireless charging support to the Realme GT. The case connects to the phone’s USB Type-C port and has a MagDart module built in.

Other MagDart compatible accessories that Realme unveiled today include the MagDart Wallet, which holds your credit cards and has a kickstand, and the MagDart Beauty Light, which adds a flip-up ring light for taking selfies. Realme hasn’t yet revealed the pricing and availability of the new MagDart products.

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Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro Info Roundup: Here’s everything we know about the Google flagship duo

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are set to launch later this year. As their name suggests, these phones will be the sixth-generation Pixel flagship. Unlike in 2020 when Google decided to release just one flagship Pixel phone, the company will be launching two phones this year. Last year was an outlier for the Pixel lineup, so it will be good to see Google get back to one regular and one larger phone. In fact, Google has gone ahead and confirmed several details about their upcoming phones, months before their release.

As expected, months before the actual launch of the Pixel 6 series, rumors and leaks about the upcoming lineup are everywhere. Google themselves have let out a lot of information about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro including some information about the internals and cameras. So let’s dive into everything that’s been rumored, leaked, or even straight-up confirmed about the upcoming Pixel 6 phones.

Google Pixel 6 Forums ||| Google Pixel 6 Pro Forums

Google Pixel 6 series: Release date

Google typically launches its new flagship Pixel phones in the fall. Barring the Pixel 5 that was introduced on September 30 2020, all other Pixel smartphones have been announced in the first half of October. So it’s very likely we’ll see the launch of the Pixel 6 series in early October. Given the pandemic, the company is expected to host a virtual event to unveil the new flagships.

Traditionally, Google has taken anywhere between a week and a fortnight after the announcement to start selling the new Pixel phones. Last year, however, the gap between the Pixel 5 announcement and the sale date ended up being almost a month because of the complications arising from the pandemic. So hopefully, the Pixel 6 launch this year will be smoother and the gap between announcement and sale date won’t be a month-long.

Google Pixel 6 series: Variants and Pricing

Google Pixel 6 Pro color options.

Although Google didn’t launch a Pro variant of the Pixel 5, the Pixel 6 is getting a larger Pro version. Initially, it was rumored that Google might be going back to their older naming scheme and would call the two phones Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 XL. However, Google has now confirmed the two phones will be Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. While we’re on names, the two upcoming Pixel phones are likely codenamed raven and oriole.

There’s no word on the storage variants of the two phones. Google could go one of two ways. It could release just one storage variant of each phone like it did with the Pixel 5 or it could have two storage variants each like the earlier Pixel phones. It seems more likely that Google will stick with just one storage variant per phone.

Google Pixel 6 color options.

Google has always been experimental with colors on the Pixel phones (except for last year) and the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will also follow that pattern. While we’re not aware of what quirky names Google will give these colors, we know that the Pixel 6 will come in shades of Red, Yellow(ish), Gray, and Black. The Pixel 6 Pro will also be available in three color options – Cream/Beige, Silver, and Black.

The pricing of the Pixel 6 phones also remains a mystery for now. Google has dabbled in both value for money and top-of-the-line pricing in Pixel’s history. So it would be interesting to see which way Google leans this year. Having said that, since we’re hearing that Google is going the premium route with the larger Pixel, we may see a flagship-level price tag on the Pro. Even the standard variant will be on the higher end of the spectrum, so don’t hold your breath on getting a budget price tag.

Design

The design of the Pixel 6 series is expected to be one of its most interesting aspects. The official images of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro that Google showed off have a striking new design. The two phones will employ a two-tone design with a black camera bump covering the entire width of the back. The two colors on the back of the phone will be divided by this bump. The space above the camera strip can be used to identify the two phones. The phone with more blank space above the camera bar is the Pixel 6 Pro.

The standard Pixel 6 is said to have a matte aluminum finish while the Pixel 6 Pro will have a light polished aluminum frame. Both phones have an industrial design with squared-off corners.

The front of the phones seems in line with pretty much most Android phones. It will have a centered hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera to keep the bezels to a minimum. Speaking of bezels, the Pixel 5 had an under-display earpiece speaker to save space on the top bezel. However, Google has got rid of it this time on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in favor of a conventional earpiece. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will also feature in-display fingerprint scanners instead of the rear-mounted one that was found on the Pixel 5.

Overall, the bold and unique design of the Pixel 6 series will certainly help it distinguish itself from other Android phones on the market. With many smartphone makers playing relatively safe with the designs of their phones, it’s nice to see Google leading from the front.

Internals: Processor, Display, and more

Another interesting aspect of the upcoming Pixel phones is going to be their processor. Google is confirmed to be using its own Google Tensor silicon in the two phones. This custom chip seems to be code-named “Whitechapel”- as spotted in a code-change submitted to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

The specifics of the chip are unknown right now but it’s reportedly being made in partnership with Samsung and will use the high-end Mali-G78 GPU. It’s the same GPU that powers Samsung’s Exynos variant of the Galaxy S21 phone. The Tensor chip will take the AI and ML capabilities of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to the next level. The Verge reported the Tensor chip can supposedly record 4K 30fps video in HDR while being capable of applying HDRNet to every single frame. It can also help reduce blur in photos and help shoot images at higher speeds.

Google has always been keen on pushing computational photography and Tensor is rumored to take Google’s camera prowess a level above the competition. It’s not just about the cameras, though. Google also claims improvements in speech recognition, translation, and dictation. Even the new Live Translate feature that can generate live, translated captions when you’re consuming content in a different language can be attributed to the new Tensor chip.

The Pixel 6 series is also expected to come with the new and improved Titan M2 chip for security.

In other specifications, Google Pixel 6 is rumored to feature a 6.4-inch 90Hz flat display with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Additionally, the phone is said to support wireless charging, and pack bottom-firing stereo speakers and a USB Type-C port. It will measure roughly 158.6mm x 74.8mm x 8.9mm (11.8mm with the camera bump). 8GB of RAM with 128/256GB of onboard storage is what we’re hearing along with a large 4614mAh battery.

The Pixel 6 Pro will reportedly pack a 6.67-inch 120Hz curved AMOLED screen with an in-display fingerprint sensor. It’s also said to include dual stereo speakers, and support faster wireless charging with the Pixel Stand. The 6 Pro will measure roughly 163.9 x 75.8 x 8.9mm (11.5mm with camera bump). Just like the display size, the RAM is also being bumped up to 12GB on the Pro variant along with 128/256/512GB of onboard storage. The battery will be slightly larger at 5000mAh.

On the software front, Android 12 is pretty much a certainty for both Pixel 6 and the 6 Pro. The new Android version that’s currently in beta will come with the Material You design language and the wallpaper-based UX theming. It will also pack a privacy dashboard to show which apps are using your phone’s camera, microphone, or location. Additionally, it will have a number of other useful features.

It’s also expected that Google will provide software support to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro for up to five years which would be terrific and right in line with what Apple does with the iPhone. Extended software support may encourage more people to opt for a Pixel device over phones from other OEMs for that extra longevity.

Cameras

Cameras have long been a key component of the Pixel lineup. It’s the camera prowess of Pixel phones that drives a lot of buying decisions. Hopefully, that will continue with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. While Google has revealed some information about the cameras on both phones, the actual camera quality, and specifics will only be known after the release of these two phones.

Google has confirmed the Pixel 6 will have a dual-camera setup whereas the Pixel 6 Pro will come with triple cameras on the rear. The third camera on the Pro variant is confirmed to be a telephoto camera that will provide 4X optical zoom. Google says they omitted the telephoto from the standard Pixel 6 to reserve it for the “Pros”.

As per the latest leak by Jon Prosser of FrontPageTech, the Pixel 6 is rumored to come with a dual rear camera setup — a 50MP primary camera and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. The Pixel 6 Pro, on the other hand, will reportedly have a triple rear camera setup that would include an additional 48MP telephoto lens along with the two cameras from the Pixel 6. The Pixel 6 will reportedly have an 8MP camera while the Pixel 6 Pro will have a 12MP shooter.

Earlier, an APK teardown of the Google Camera app version 8.3 by renowned camera modder and XDA Forums Senior Member cstark27 hints towards the Pixel 6 Pro getting support for up to 5X zoom capabilities. The optical zoom capability of the phone is rumored to be around 4.3X with digital zoom making up the rest of the 5X zoom.

In other rumored camera-specific details, the selfie camera on the Pixel 6 is said to support 4K video recording. The Pixel 5’s selfie camera only supports 1080p video recording at 30fps. One thing that was already confirmed at the I/O 2021 is that Google is tweaking the camera algorithms to make them better at shooting diverse skin tones.

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Google Pixel 6 series: Availability

Google now has a landing page on its store for the Pixel 6 series that you can take a look at if you’re interested in these phones. Google Pixel 6 series will be available in at least eight countries, based on the fact that landing pages for them have already gone live.

• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Japan
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom
• United States

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro seem like the most interesting and most anticipated phones of 2021. The new Tensor chip is something we’re looking forward to seeing along with the changes Google has made with regards to the cameras. It’s safe to say we’re now looking at a new direction for Pixel.

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XDA’s Wishlist for the Pixel 6 series

Thanks to the various rumors and leaks, we already know a lot about the two phones. But from the things that are still a mystery, here’s what we would like to see in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

High refresh rate display

For the last couple of flagship Pixel phones, Google has been kind of stuck at a 90Hz refresh rate. So it would be great to see the company make a jump to at least 120Hz. Pretty much all major flagships these days come with 120Hz displays, so it makes no sense for Google to provide anything lower. A higher refresh rate not only helps you while gaming, but also affects how smooth a phone feels while in use.

High-capacity battery

While Google made a significant jump in the Pixel 5’s battery capacity, there’s still scope for improvement. Given that Pixel phones don’t normally come with crazy-fast charging speeds, seeing a 4,500mAh or 5,000mAh battery would certainly make a lot of people, including us, very happy.

No more hardware issues

Pixel phones don’t have the best record when it comes to hardware and software issues. Every year, after the new Pixel phones are released, Google support forums are filled with consumers complaining about one thing or another. While software issues can be rectified by updates, hardware issues can cause unnecessary hassle to users. Nobody likes to see their brand new phone having problems. So Google, let’s not repeat history this year.

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So this is everything that has been confirmed, rumored, or leaked by credible sources about the Pixel 6 phones over the last couple of months. Since the launch of the new Pixel phones is still a few months away, we will very likely hear a lot more in the coming weeks and months. We’ll continue to update this article as we know more details.

What are your expectations or wishes for the upcoming phones? What would you like to see? Let us know in the comments section.

Featured Image: Google Pixel 5

The post Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro Info Roundup: Here’s everything we know about the Google flagship duo appeared first on xda-developers.

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These are the best laptops for playing Fortnite in 2021

Fortnite is one of the most popular games right now, even though it’s been years since Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode was first released. The game is still receiving major updates every few months, most recently featuring cross-overs with Marvel, Halo, Star Wars, and other media. If you’re here, you’re probably looking for the best laptops for the job, and that’s what we’re going to go over.

Even though Fortnite isn’t as graphically demanding as many other popular games, there are still plenty of laptops that aren’t up to the job. Epic Games hasn’t released Fortnite as native software for Windows on ARM, so even the best 5G laptops with Qualcomm chipsets aren’t a good choice. Similarly, many of the best laptops with optical drives aren’t good choices for Fortnite either, as many of them don’t have dedicated graphics cards.

In this roundup, we’ve listed some of the best laptops you can buy for playing Fortnite, using the official system requirements as reference. These are all Windows laptops, since Fortnite is currently unsupported on macOS due to the ongoing legal battles between Apple and Epic Games.

The best overall: MSI GF63

MSI sells many variations of its GF63 gaming laptop, but this model with an Intel Core i5 processor and GTX 1650 graphics card strikes an excellent balance between cost and performance. The GPU is around 20% faster than the recommended graphics card for Fortnite, and the other hardware matches or exceeds Fortnite’s other requirements.

The model we’ve picked out here has a 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 LCD screen, a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, a 256GB SSD, 8GB of 3200MHz RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. With that hardware, the GF63 will handle most newer games without an issue at the native 1080p resolution, though some games will require lower graphics settings. Fortnite will run perfectly, given its lower graphical requirements.

MSI GF63

This laptop exceeds the recommended system requirements for Fortnite, striking a good balance between price and performance.

Buy at Best Buy

The budget alternative: Acer Nitro 5

If the above MSI laptop isn’t available by the time you read this, or you just want a different option, the Acer Nitro 5 is a great choice at around the same price range. This specific model has an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, a 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. The large 15.6-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate is perfect for everything from productivity work to gaming.

Acer Nitro 5

This mid-range gaming laptop is another great choice for playing Fortnite on the go, without spending thousands of dollars.

Buy at Best Buy

The middle ground: Asus TUF 17.3″

Asus sells many laptops with its “TUF” brand, but this one is a middle ground between most budget laptops and pricier high-end options. You get an Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, 512GB SSD, and 8GB RAM. This laptop also has a larger screen than the other models on this list, at 17.3 inches diagonally, with a 144Hz refresh rate.

This isn’t a bad package at all for the usual price of $1,000, though more RAM would have been nice to see. It will have no problem powering through a few rounds of Fortnite, and most other modern games will work well too.

Razer Blade 15

This large 17.3-inch gaming laptop is a great option for the price, but more RAM would be nice.

Buy at Best Buy

The high-end laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus

This high-end gaming laptop from Asus is honestly overkill, if all you’re going to be playing is Fortnite, but it’s a great option if you also want to play other modern games. It has a premium metallic design, an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, a 1TB SSD for Windows and games, and a large 1080p 14-inch screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz.

With the high-end Ryzen 9 processor and capable RTX 3060 GPU, this laptop will have no problem playing any modern game you want. It’s also technically capable of fancy ray-traced graphics (including with Fortnite), though it might be a good idea to leave it off in some games for the best possible framerates.

Asus ROG Zephyrus

This high-end gaming laptop is overkill for Fortnite, but it's a great choice if you plan on playing other modern games too.

Buy at Best Buy

The best design: Razer Blade 15

Razer’s laptops usually won’t win any awards for the best bang-for-your-buck value, but if you want a great-looking gaming laptop, the Blade 15 is undoubtedly one of the top options. This base model from Razer has an Intel Core i7-10750H processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, a 120Hz 15.6-inch screen, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.

Most of the other laptops in this roundup have better internal hardware at lower prices. However, if design is of the utmost importance (or you just really like Razer), you should consider the Blade 15. In any case, the laptop won’t break a sweat playing Fortnite.

Razer Blade 15

This is the base Razer Blade 15, with an Intel Core i7 CPU and GTX 1660 Ti graphics card.

Buy at Amazon

The ultra-budget option: HP Laptop 15

If you need a laptop that can technically play Fortnite, and you don’t care about other games, this version of the HP Laptop 15 is one of the cheapest PCs that meets Fortnite’s minimum requirements at the normal MSRP of $549.99 (with frequent sales at around $450). The laptop’s Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor is barely faster than the minimum-required Core i3-3225 CPU, but the 8GB RAM is double the minimum requirement. No one should be buying a PC with 4GB RAM in 2021, anyway.

The other hardware includes a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display, a 256GB NVMe SSD for storage, and integrated Intel UHD graphics. The laptop comes with Windows 10 Home in ‘S’ mode by default, which only allows apps to be installed from the Microsoft Store. Fortnite isn’t available from Microsoft’s app store, but there’s a switch in the system settings app to turn off S mode.

This laptop is more suited towards productivity work than gaming, but it’s still officially compatible with Fortnite — just don’t expect the smoothest experience ever.

HP Laptop 15

This is a productivity laptop, not a gaming laptop, but it does meet the minimum requirements for Fortnite.

Buy at Best Buy

Fortnite can run on just about any gaming laptop made in the past few years, but the above options are great places to start if you’re looking to buy a new machine. Thanks to the game’s lower graphical requirements, you don’t need to spend big bucks on a new laptop, especially given the rising performance of Nvidia and AMD’s lower-end mobile graphics chips.

Featured image: Fortnite v17.10 update (Credit: Epic Games)

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